On Broadway

On Broadway

After nursing a balky back and leg for the past couple of weeks, it was time for a laugh. So it was a good thing I had tickets today to see the Broadway production of Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein along with my parents and sister, Amy.

Although nothing can top the 1974 cinematic version starring Gene Wilder, Terri Garr, Peter Boyle, and others, today's show was thoroughly entertaining, with plenty of laughs. As in film, the scene where the monster performs a tap routine to "Puttin' on the Ritz" was priceless.

Accessibility at the Hilton Theatre was excellent -- from the elevator to the seating Parking for my full-size conversion van didn't come cheap, but at least we were able to convince the initially resistant parking lot operator to let us park in his lot.

Getting in and out of New York City left a lot to be desired, however. Traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike near the exit from hell (that would be 7A) was terrible and the physical condition of the turnpike itself was dreadful, particularly immediately outside New York, hardly good for my aching body. As a student and lover of cities, I wonder why the federal government couldn't kick in a few extra dollars to improve the roadways around the financial capital of not just the nation, but the world
Apparently, that only happensafter they collapse and people end up drowning in the river.

That's not funny. "Young Frankenstein," on the other hand, was. I would say that it was "worth the ride," but that would be a cheap marketing ploy, considering it's the title of my book. Suffice to say, I'm glad I made the trip -- pain-free, I might add.